The first is The WAH Nails Book of Downtown Girls by Sharmadean Reid. As a follow-up to The WAH Nails Book of Nail Art, Reid, the founder of salon WAH Nails, is at it again. “The tutorials in this book have been chosen to show a variety of styles and designs that are popular in our London salon, but what’s most exciting is seeing what style of nails are popular all around the world,” Reid says in the introduction. Each spread highlights a uniquely stylish woman and a step-by-step of the spunky art on her fingers. Regarding the book’s name, Reid explains, “It doesn’t matter where you live geographically! If you’ve got great style, street sassiness, and the right amount of attitude, you’re a Downtown Girl.”

Scratch magazine deputy editor Helena Biggs has a rolodex many nail fanatics would envy. Her up-close access to amazing artists shows in her book Nail Art: Inspiring Designs by the World’s Leading Nail Technicians. Each chapter explores a different nail style, profiling nail techs renowned for the look, plus there are step-by-steps throughout so you can try out the styles yourself. It kicks off with the ’20s style moon manicure and alternatives to the classic French, then evolves into experimentation with color, nail shape, and basic nail art. The nails increase in intricacy as you flip from beginning to end. Nail artists from Catherine Wong to Marian Newman to Ami Vega and so many more offer insights in the book’s pages.

Look for these books at your favorite online or bricks-and-mortar bookstore. Both are available on Amazon.com.